Through-hole connectors are traditionally used to provide product connecter headers in many applications. Conventional through-hole connection technology provides increased reliability and robustness and, accordingly, through-hole connectors are traditionally utilized in environments that demand reliability. Among others, the automotive industry, often utilizes through-hole connectors for circuit boards, as the demand for reliability in an automobile is generally high.
Conventional through-hole attachment techniques typically require a process to attach the connector to the substrate such as, for example and without limitation, a selective wave solder process or a pin and paste process. In addition, as substrates often include multiple layers, the through-hole connector often consumes valuable substrate real estate. This real estate could otherwise be used, for example and without limitation, to provide additional electrical pathways and the like through the substrate and mounting of electrical components on the surface of the opposing side of the substrate
To help minimize or eliminate the consumption of such real estate; attempts have been made to replace the through-hole connectors with various surface mount connector assemblies. However, many surface mount connector assemblies generally compromise product reliability as they often malfunction due to lost, or otherwise broken, electrical or physical connections between the substrate and the connector. Such malfunctions arise, for example, due to cracks or the like arising between the connector and the substrate. Such malformations are typically the result of a mechanical overstress, or a coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the connector and the substrate.